1GOAL - Education for All

By 2015 Africa should be turning a new leaf: overcoming the disease, famine and localised faction fights by focussing on education 4 all.  Financial circumstances, age and geographic location shouldn’t be a reason to stop anyone from learning.

When Ma Nkosi puts her three year old grandchild to bed at night and reads out a story to him, not only does little Sipho hear new words, but he hears them used in sentences so that he may begin to speak with correct diction, he learns of fantastical things which make him as a child curious, he wants to learn more and he asks questions. Ma Nkosi , could be of the millions who were before 2015 illiterate but who were given the opportunity by 1GOAL to learn to read and write. She now enjoys reading about the on-goings of the world in newspapers and even television and radio starts making more sense. She knows about the latest outbreak of malaria, what to do and who to go to treat it. Ntate Nkosi, Ma Nkosi’s husband, has also been able to advise the village on the use of their money. Last year they had a better than expected growth of crops. This was because of new farming methods which he had introduced. They made a lot of money from this and the community members are now saving for a rainy day. Everyone is happier.

The need for education has to be inclusive, keeping in mind that as much as the future leaders need to be educated, the primary care givers need to be the primary educators.

 If we consider South Africa as a microcosm of Africa, the focus on education on the younger generation has failed us in the “brain drain”. All the new young professionals with the knowledge and ability to add value back into society are searching for greener pastures. The few that make it beyond a secondary education are few and far between making it an uncompetitive, unchallenging experience. This doesn’t mean that the focus shouldn’t be on creating a learning environment for young people, it means that the environment should be wide-spread and available to all so that have the ability may have the opportunity.

Higher education undoubtedly has its role. Africa has among its people, some of the greatest academics historically. Higher education forms the basis of research into the new methods for solving problems unique to Africa. It also trains individuals to become part of the population that can contribute back into society and thereby become the society that runs the parliaments, courts, hospitals, schools and businesses that form the economic thrust of the country.

Furthermore, in this analogy, poor education allowed the spread of myths. In 2002 a myth called the “virgin cure“ spread faster than media could persuade people that they were being misinformed. Hundreds of young women were raped because HIV positive men were of the opinion that they could be cured by sleeping with virgins. Such transgressions can be dealt with if we have better education.

How can education for all be achieved ? Firstly by teaching the teachers, that’s teaching the educators that will be teaching in the many learning centres across Africa. Setting up these learning centres which are accessible to adults and children alike. Setting up libraries in all the centres.

William Kamkwamba is an inspiration in the way he used his thirst for knowledge and his belief that he could make a difference . He built a windmill in his back yard during the drought in Malawi. At first people thought that he was crazy, but later they revered his ingenuity.

People like William need to travel the continent to promote the idea of education. The fear associated with ideas different to tradition will always grip us. We need to find icons to help us overcome the fear.

My dream for education by 2015 is simple. Make it easier for all of us as Africans to be educated so that we can survive.

 letter to 1GOAL campaign

 Naeema Kharsany 

(on behalf of ReDineo)

19 September 2010